Family group condemns intimidation
tactic by self-described “pack of wolves”

Homosexual activists disrupt Lansing church

AFA-Michigan joins Catholic League in call for investigation

LANSING, Mich. — A statewide family values organization Tuesday condemned a homosexual anarchist group which Sunday disrupted the worship services of an evangelical Christian church in Michigan’s capital city. The anarchist group, Bash Back, claimed credit for the disruption, referring to Mount Hope Church of Lansing as “a deplorable, anti-queer mega-church…complicit in the repression of queers in Michigan and beyond.”http://bashbacknews.wordpress.com

“So long as bigots kill us in the streets, this pack of wolves will continue to Bash Back!” the group threatened in an online posting.

Mount Hope Church, a 5,000-member racially diverse church, issued a statement which described the disruption: “On Sunday, November 9, 2008 at the 11:30 AM services the people of Mount Hope Church were shocked by an unwelcome violent demonstration by a homosexual/transgender anarchist group based in Chicago, IL. The group threw fliers at churchgoers and shouted sentiments such as, ‘Itâ€™s okay to be gay’ and ‘Jesus was a homo’ during a Sunday morning service. The Eaton County Sheriffâ€™s office was called and the illegal demonstration ceased.”

Gary Glenn, Midland, president of the American Family Association and co-author of the Marriage Protection Amendment approved by Michigan voters in 2004, condemned the homosexual activist group’s intimidation tactics.

“We will alert churches statewide of this now close-to-home threat of disruption of their members’ freedom to worship in peace and safety,” Glenn said, “but this is not the first time in history Christians have faced persecution or threats of reprisal for standing for their faith and values.”

“Politically, it is immensely helpful when homosexual activists let the ‘tolerance’ mask slip
from their faces and reveal the true nature of their repressive and obviously intolerant agenda,” Glenn said. “The truth is, they will tolerate no dissent from their political demands, and what they demand are new laws that empower them to redefine marriage, impose their political will on our families and schools and churches, and silence anyone who dares disagree.”

“When that fails, homosexual activists — including this particular group calling itself a ‘pack of wolves’ — are making clear across the country that they’re willing to resort to property violence or perhaps even worse to try to frighten and intimidate people into submission,” he said, referring to angry and sometimes violent street protests since voters Nov. 4th approved Marriage Protection Amendments in Arizona, California, and Florida. In Michigan, Hamtramck voters rejected a so-called “gay rights” ordinance by 55 to 45 percent. http://www.onenewsnow.com/Election2008/Default.aspx?id=312782

“Here’s my prediction,” Glenn said. “Americans, particularly people of strong religious faith, are not cowards. The overwhelming majority who believe marriage is and always should be only between one man and one woman, who have said so at the ballot box in 30 states, will not be bullied by emotional adolescents who disrespect private property, the rule of law, and anyone who dares hold opinions diverse from their own.”

“We will pray for and offer help to those who have gender identity and same-sex attraction disorders, but Americans will continue to reject their attempts to overturn the will of the people and impose their disorders on our children and society at large,” he said.

Glenn said AFA-Michigan will join the Catholic League — a leading Catholic civil rights organization based in Washington, D.C. — in urging Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox to investigate the organized violation of the church’s private property rights and the group’s threat of future disruptions of worship services.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue Tuesday issued a statement condemning the group’s actions and accusing the news media of failing to report it with the same intensity they routinely do complaints by homosexual activist groups.

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â€œThe real story here is the refusal of the mainstream media to cover what is surely one of the most disturbing events of 2008,” Donohue said. “If an organized group of gay bashers stormed a gay church, there is not a single sentient person in the United States who wouldnâ€™t know about it. This is urban fascism come to Americaâ€™s heartland. It must be quickly stopped before it gets out of control. We are contacting Mike Cox, the Attorney General of Michigan, calling for an investigation.â€ http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1512

Lansing City Pulse, a liberal alternative newspaper, was notified of the disruption in advance and sent a reporter to cover it. Rather than warn church attendees what was about to happen, the reporter instead remained silent but filed a report published Tuesday: “The Rev. John Elieff…at Mt. Hope Church said Bash Back members disrupted the service by bursting into the sanctuary, throwing fliers, hanging a banner from the balcony and pulling fire alarms. ‘It was an unwelcome and violent demonstration,’ he said. …Elieff acknowledged the groupâ€™s right to protest, but he said the churchâ€™s civil rights were infringed upon when the service was disrupted. No one was arrested at the church, and, Elieff said, as far as he knew, no arrests have been made.” http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/lansing/article-2302-gay-anarchist-action-hits-church.html

An eyewitness report by a member of the church was posted Sunday on a conservative blog, RightMichigan.com:

“Prayer had just finished when men and women stood up in pockets across the congregation, on the main floor and in the balcony. ‘Jesus was gay,’ they shouted among other profanities and blasphemies as they rushed the stage. Some forced their way through rows of women and kids to try to hang a profane banner from the balcony while others began tossing fliers into the air. Two women made their way to the pulpit and began to kiss.

“…The ‘open minded’ and ‘tolerant’ liberals ran down the aisles and across the pews, hoping against hope to catch a ‘right winger’ on tape daring to push back (none did). And just in case their camera missed the target, they had a reporter in tow. According to a source inside the church yesterday there was a ‘journalist’ from the Lansing City Pulse along for the ride, tipped off about the action and more interested in getting a story than in preventing the vandalism, the violence and anti-Christian hatred being spewed by the lefties. …An hour after police and security had collected and removed who they thought were the last of the liberals, a volunteer security person discovered two more, hiding, together, in a public restroom. …(O)nly by the grace of God did one of the hundreds of kids at the church not happen upon that particular restroom in those moments.

“…The church’s response? After things settled down, the blasphemy ended, the lewd props removed and the families safe from fear of additional men and women running into and past them the pastor took the stage and led the congregation in one more prayer… not for retribution, or divine justice or a celestial comeuppance (that’s what I’d have prayed for) but instead that the troubled individuals who’d just defiled the Lord’s house, so full of anger and hate, would know Jesus’ love in their lives and God’s peace that exceeds human understanding. http://www.rightmichigan.com/story/2008/11/10/13335/904

The Bash Back website boasted that their group of protesters outside the church “was extremely loud and wildly offensive” and “drew a majority of Mount Hopeâ€™s security staff outside to watch them.” http://bashbacknews.wordpress.com

“Meanwhile, with the guards pre-occupied by the distraction, over a dozen queers had put on their Sunday-best and infiltrated the churchâ€™s congregation. At the signal that the guards had been lured outside, the infiltrators sprung into action. A group stood up, declared themselves fags, and began screaming loudly. Upon hearing the loud interruption…a team that had been hiding under the pews in the closed-off balcony dropped a banner and pulled back the curtains to reveal â€œIt’s Okay to be gay. Bash Back!â€. Another group threw over a thousand fliers to the entirety of the congregation. The fire alarm was pulled. Queers began making out in front of the pastor. And within a matter of minutes, everyone had evaded the guards and made their escapes.”